Posts Tagged ‘holiday’

Were you one of the lucky ones to visit the Minnesota Yarn Shop Hop shops earlier this month? Well the numbers are in and 1150 people started the hop over the four day event! 403 of these fine folks visited every participating shop. Each one saw and average of 680 customers come through their doors. The best part is however, over 3100 pounds of food was donated and $22, 000 was raised for area food shelves. Plymouth Yarn was happy to donate towards giveaways and door prizes for the 8th annual event. Thank you so much for shopping this wonderful shop hop. Once again, if you talk to my boss, tell him I need to be there next year.

I found this awesome crochet pattern when peeking into our designer’s office. I’m making mine in white Goldrush for my newly remodeled beach theme bedroom. I already bought my jars and battery operated candles! Enjoy the pattern and be sure to share your finished products with us on facebook, twitter and ravelry! We love to see projects!

Pattern -F540 Gold Rush Candle Jar Covers PDF DownloadMATERIALS
1 cone of Plymouth Gold Rush
Crochet hook 3.25 mmGAUGE
Jar # 1 (shown on right): 6 DC = one inch. Check when you have done a few rounds of the tree pattern that it fits properly around the jar.
Jar # 2 (shown on left): 1 shell and 1 DC = one inch. Check when you have worked a few row of the shell pattern that it will fit properly around the jar.

BEGIN– BASE FOR BOTH JARS:
Ch 2. Work 6 SC into the first chain stitch. Sl st into the first SC st that you made.
Ch 1. Do not turn but work 2 SC into the same st where you joined and then continue working 2 SC into the next 5 SC. Sl st into the first SC. (12 SC.)
Ch 1 (It may be helpful to put a pin into this ch after each round so that you know where each round beg. Skip over this ch when joining rounds.) *Work 2 SC into the same st where you joined and work 1 SC into the next SC. Rep from * 5 times. Skip over the ch 1 and sl st into the first SC of the round. (18 SC)
Ch 1, Work 2 SC into the same st where you joined and work 1 SC into each of the next 2 SC. Rep from * 5 times. Join to the first SC of that round. (24 SC)
Ch 1, *Work 2 SC into the same st where you joined and work 1 SC into each of the next 3 SC. Rep from * 5 times. Join to the first SC of that round. (30 SC)
Cont in this manner working an extra SC between each inc (2 SC in the same st). When you have 8 SC between the inc, the bottom of the jar will be finished. (60 SC), This completes the base.Jar #1 (shown on the right)
The rest of the jar cover will be worked in blocks and spaces.
Space: DC, ch 2, skip 2 sts.
Block: 3 DC.
Round 1: Ch 5. skip 2 SC (this counts as a DC and 2 ch, forming your first space.), 1 space, *1 block, 4 spaces , rep from * 2 times, 1 block, 2 spaces, sl st into the 3rd ch of the previous round.
Round 2: Rep Round 1.
Round 3: Ch 3 (counts as a DC), DC in each DC and 2 DC in each space, (20 blocks) sl st into the 3rd ch of the previous round.
Rounds 4 and 5: Rep Round 3. When you finish the round, sl st into the top of the ch 3 in the previous round.
Round 6: Ch 5, *3 blocks, 2 spaces, rep from *2 times, 3 blocks, 1 space, sl st into the 3rd ch of the previous round.
Rounds 7 and 8: Rep Round 6.
Round 9 and 10: Rep Round 1.
Round 11: Work 20 spaces around. Fasten off.Jar #2: (shown on the left)
Beg shell pattern as follows:
First round: Ch 3 (counts as a DC) *skip 2 SC, 5 DC in the next SC, skip 2 SC, 1 DC in the next SC. Rep from * 8 times. Skip 2 SC, 5 DC in the next SC, skip 2 SC, sl st into the top of the ch 3 that beg the round.
All other rounds: Ch 3, 5 DC in the top of the shell in the previous round, 1 DC in the 1 DC in the previous round. End each round by working a sl st into the top of the beg chain of the previous round. When shell pattern measures 3.5” (about 10 or11 rounds), fasten off.

I saw this cowl on the neck of our designer Cia in the office a few months back and I just loved the look of it. I made her take it off and let me try it! I can’t normally wear the bulkier cowls but I love making them as gifts. This Angora Cowl is for someone like me. It has a beautiful drape, warm without being bulky and the colors chosen just work so well together. Did I mention it’s Angora? This would also be beautiful made with Angora Glitz. So grab that holiday list and check off a name or two with this design!

Repeat rows 1-4 for pattern
With Scrap yarn, cast on 45 sts.
Next Row, and Color A, start with Row 2 of Stitch Pattern.
Work in *Color A for 3 Repeats of Stitch Pattern. Change to Color B for 3 Repeats, the Color C for 1 Repeat;
rep until piece measures approx 24” ending with Color C on Row 4 for last repeat. Leave sts on needle.
Unravel Scrap yarn and slip live stitches on second needle. Graft together the cast-on stitches with the last stitches using the Kitchener Stitch. (See directions below)

Kitchener Stitch:
Break yarn leaving a 2 yard tail. Hold 2 needles parallel in left hand with points facing out.
1St: Bring threaded needle thru front st as if to purl and leave st on needle.
2nd: Bring threaded needle thru back st as if to knit and leave st on needle.
3rd: Bring threaded needle thru first front st as if to knit and sl this st off needle. Bring threaded needle thru next front st as if to purl and leave st on needle.
4th: Bring threaded needle thru first back st as if to purl, sl this st off, bring needle thru next back st as if to knit, leave this st on needle.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all sts are used.
Weave in all ends.

See this cutie! One of our sales reps decided to try out the Dr Zhivago hat by CiD Hanscom Designs. Made with just one skein Passion Fur Yarn and the pattern is found on Ravelry. It just happens that her model was this adorable little guy who braved wearing the hat for long enough to snap the pictures! What a trooper!

With only 75 days until Christmas and 58 days until the start of Hanukkah, it’s time to start that knitting and crocheting. Follow our blog over the next several days for quick and easy projects for everyone!

Joy Ruffle

Today we will cover Joy Ruffle. With this great ruffle yarn, available in 4 solid colors and 6 multicolored shades, you can have a scarf made in a night. It will make the perfect teacher, coworker, hairdresser, or babysitter gift. I made tons of ruffle scarves for the last Holiday season and tied them around the gifts for the gals in my family.

Check out some free patterns you can use with this gorgeous yarn on Ravelry!

It is officially the unofficial end of summer. Labor day is one of my favorite holidays as it celebrates the American worker, which is me! A big thank you to Matthew Maguire and Peter J. McGuire, labor union officials who first proposed the holiday back in 1882 as a day of rest and celebration for workers and their families. I’ll gladly take a 3 day weekend, I have one UFO that needs tending to, a grill that is begging for some steaks and a blender just waiting to make some margaritas. We always stay close to home, trying to visit our swim club as much as possible before they lock the gate for the final time on Monday 8pm.

For the first time, my son is dreading this weekend, or at least the end of it. Now he’s a second grader, aware that back to school means homework, early bedtimes and tucked in uniform shirts. No more weeknight outings to the movies or miniature golf. I’m excited to meet his teacher and wondering if she’s a knitter.

Early bedtimes for the kid means uninterrupted knitting time for mommy. My goal over the next few weeks is to master crochet. I am a novice and I am ready to change that. There is way too much fantastic crochet out there that I am missing out on. I would like to replace my holiday knitting with crochet this year. Click here for one of the many videos I will be using as guide this weekend.

Make sure you call your local yarn store this weekend too. Many of them have received their fall orders and are having some amazing sales. If you get to your shop, check out some of our new yarns like Gina, Sakkie and Pasea, the hottest sellers right now.

It’s that time of year again folks! Let’s start thinking about those holiday projects. My request list has grown over the years, probably because I’ve been outed by this very blog! Now everyone knows I knit. Boy, are they lucky that I love to do it, and my husband works the night shift!

So shine up those needles, wind up the hanks and grab your patterns, it’s yarn o’clock.

In honor of Memorial Day, the unofficial start of the summer, we would like to give you a chance to win a patriotic prize! All you have to do to enter is check out Plymouth Yarn on Pinterest . Follow your favorite board while you’re there. Then, come back to our blog or facebook page and tell us what you like the best or what content you would like to see.

Your tootsies will love these socks, and think how great it will be to slip these on after a long day at the pool or beach! We know so many of you take part in charity knitting. How about making these for your local veterans’ association?

Winners will be picked at random on Tuesday, May 29th. Winners will be notified via email for blog submissions and inbox message on facebook. Tweeters will be notified by direct message. So be sure to keep your eye out on Tuesday! Have a great Memorial Day weekend.

When Saint Patrick wears a scarf, it must be this one and you won’t need the luck of the Irish to get it done this weekend. When you are ready to put down your Guinness and pick up your needles, give this infinity scarf a whirl. Made from 100% fine merino wool, DeAire is the perfect yarn to warm your soul and neck.

Using #17 needles cast on 21 sts and work in pattern stitch for 33″ with the first color, attach second color and work for an additional 33″ (if using one color work in pattern stitch for a total of 66″). Bind off loosely. Join cast on end to bind off end by twisting one end 360 degrees before joining with the mattress stitch.
To wear scarf take circle created after joining ends, twist in half and put over head around neck.
Weave in ends.

I subscribe to just about every knitting magazine or at least get a chance to peek at them here in the office(don’t tell the boss). This week, I found a real gem and wanted to share it with you.

One of my favorite yarns, DeAire, a super bulky, soft, luxurious, fine merino wool is featured in Vogue Knitting‘s Holiday issue on newsstands November 6th. Check out their special Collector’s Issue featuring an A to Z guide of the latest knitting styles. P is for Poncho! Designer Marcia Cleary, sizes small/medium(15 hanks), large/X-large(16 hanks), 2X/3X(17 hanks). Using DeAire white, color 100. You can see the entire collection on VK360°

Vogue Knitting Holiday 2011, photo by Paul Amato

On another note, did you know that Plymouth Yarn is now the exclusive North American distributor for Grignasco yarns? We carry 9 varieties of this gorgeous yarn and 3 of their beautiful books. Ravelry is chocked full of fabulous patterns for these yarns. I couldn’t just pick one to share so click here for the link to all of them! Find a shop in your area to purchase any of the items mentioned.